Brazilian Grand Prix: Saturday Analysis

It was echoes of qualifying back in March for the Australian Grand Prix, as rain delays caused chaos once again in Brazil. While Q3 was delayed due to heavy rain, the session did eventually resume and Sebastian Vettel once again rose to the top of the pile, claiming his 45th career Pole in sublime fashion. His massive margin of 0.7 seconds to Nico Rosberg in P2 was truly remarkable - His margin of 1.1 seconds to Mark Webber in P4, even more-so. A ninth consecutive victory is on the cards, yet rain at Interlagos can spring the biggest of surprises.

US Grand Prix: Saturday Analysis

Qualifying for the second US Grand Prix to be held at the stunning COTA saw Red Bull dominate proceedings, with Sebastian Vettel pipping teammate Webber to a well deserved Pole Position. The remarkable fact was that Vettel pulled back a seemingly unassailable deficit of 0.4 seconds after a poor first and second sector to steal P1 with a flawless end to the lap. Best of the rest was Romain Grosjean in P3, while the Mercedes were disappointed and puzzled after an unexpectedly poor session.

Indian Grand Prix: Saturday Analysis

Predictable, inevitable, sublime - so many adjectives can be used to describe Sebastian Vettel's dominant Pole Position in New Delhi today. The German was at his usual best, as he controlled proceedings at the head of the timesheet. He was even able to abandon his final run as his initial time of a 1:24.119 was good enough to claim top spot from the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, who trailed by 0.7s. However, it is Vettel's teammate who could provide the greatest threat to the German tomorrow. Mark Webber set his Q3 time on the medium tyre, while still managing to line up a highly commendable P4. No one has ever won a race starting on the prime compound and while this is unlikely to change tomorrow, it will certainly provide intrigue to the race.
 

Hungarian Grand Prix: Saturday Analysis

Prior to today, it would have taken a brave man to bet against Sebastian Vettel for Pole Position at Hungary. His performance on Friday was seemingly invincible, yet his rivals returned to form today, as Mercedes finally managed to understand the new Pirelli construction, paving the way for Lewis Hamilton to record a third successive Pole. The Brit, who now draws level with the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio in terms of career poles, snatched P1 away from Sebastian Vettel in the dying moments of the session, while Nico Rosberg completed the Mercedes resurgence to qualify a respectable P4.

British Grand Prix: Saturday Analysis

It was a super Saturday at the uncharacteristically sunny Silverstone, as Qualifying saw Lewis Hamilton claim his second Pole Position at the circuit, while Nico Rosberg made it another Mercedes front row lockout. Hamilton rightly stole the headlines with a spectacular lap of 1:29.607; He was the only man to set a time below the 1:30's so far this weekend. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel will be pleased to see his championship rivals faltering, as Fernando Alonso could only manage P10, while Kimi Raikkonen is placed just two positions ahead. However, it was a SILVER day at SILVERstone!

Canadian Grand Prix: Saturday Analysis

Following a heavily disrupted FP3, Qualifying was a relentless tale of intermediate runs, as teams failed to predict the unpredictable Montreal weather patterns. The circuit was damp throughout, which favored Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel, who put an end to Mercedes' dominant string of Pole Positions. However, Lewis Hamilton proved just how strong he is around Canada, lining up P2 and overcoming his persistent brake issues. Performance of the day goes to Valtteri Bottas, who not only made it into Q3, but qualified an awe inspiring P3.

Monaco Grand Prix: Saturday Analysis

A truly breathtaking Qualifying session brought about the expected conclusion. Nico Rosberg took his third consecutive pole position from his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. The pair are optimistic of a good result tomorrow, however, they are far from expectant, as rivals prepare for what could be a one stop race. Mercedes will hope their long run evaluation work on Thursday will pay dividend tomorrow. Alonso has work to do from a troublesome P6 on the grid.

Spanish Grand Prix: Saturday Analysis

While Mercedes are known as the Silver Arrows, they are fast becoming a stealth squad, after Nico Rosberg stole another unexpected Pole Position in Barcelona, with teammate Lewis Hamilton locking out the front row. Following a highly underwhelming Friday, Mercedes justified their lack of short runs in yesterday's sessions. Undoubtedly  they are strong on Saturday's, however, their long run performance suggests that success tomorrow may be unlikely.

Bahrain Grand Prix: Saturday Analysis

While Qualifying in China was full of strategic decisions, Saturday in Bahrain was interesting for all the right reasons. In a highly unpredictable Q3 session, Nico Rosberg stole an unlikely pole position, after suffering from balance issues throughout all three practice sessions. The result is Mercedes first back to back pole positions since Moss and Fangio in 1955. Who says Formula One is predictable.

Chinese Grand Prix: Saturday Analysis

Strategy was always set to dictate Qualifying and while Q3 seemed to be anything but a spectacle for a time, the variation in tyre choice made for a captivating end to the Qualifying hour. Lewis Hamilton increased in confidence throughout the session, finishing with an inch perfect lap to take his first pole for Mercedes. Teammate Nico Rosberg threatened to make it a Mercedes front row lockout, before a mistake in the final corner curtailed his aspirations. He starts P4.